Ok I've been struggling with this all day and I had to miss work today because of it. i cant get my 1994 z28 to start

The past few days when I went to turn my key, the starter wouldn't engage right away and it took a few turns of the key to get it to go. The starter worked fine when it engaged but it wouldnt right away like it usually should.

Last night I drove out to my girlfriends house and it did the same thing in the driveway before i left. it almost felt like the key was sticking a little bit. I went to leave her house and the same thing, except this time the starter wouldn't kick in at all. the key turns and the warning lights come on, and it beeps as usual but it wont start. so here i sit, no idea what to do about my car.

I think its the starter solenoid... I'm in the process of removing the starter but its a huge PITA and i didnt have the right tools today.

Oh and also, about a month ago I had to replace my ignition switch in my steering column because it wouldnt start, except that time the key wouldnt move at all, this time it does. Could it be something else in the column??

 

Are you sure your switch has not come loose? You should check to see if you get 12v to the little wire on the starter before you go yanking it out (maybe for no reason). Troubleshoot logically and save yourself some grief.

 

how about that chip on the key ??? it seems like some one told me that had
something to do with car not starting ?? do you have another set of keys

 

does it make sense that the switch could come loose less than 500 miles after installing a new one? So your saying yank the column out again before the starter or just test the starter?

I washed the engine bay a few days ago if that could cause any issues but it ran fine after, no issues with the opti.

any tips on towing these cars with tow straps??

 

He is saying check the wire at the starter to see if it gets power. That will tell you if your getting power that far or not if you have power there upon key bump your problem is probably solenoid or starter. If you dont get power there your problem may be in the ignition switch or between that side and the starter. It narrows down your possibilities and should be easy to check and tells you which side of that location the problem is in. Towing mine was easy. I used a chain in the location at the front of the frame on both sides creating a loop then hooked a tow strap to that. Be sure the hooks grab correctly and if ur auto trans not sure what you would need to remove to not damage ur drivetrain.

 

are there any pictures or how-tos on how to troubleshoot this? ive never really used a voltmeter before so im new to all this

 

If you can't use a volt meter or read schematics, it is going to be very difficult. I would guess there might be some videos on the internet on meter usage, but for reading schematics that might be another thing. Ever wonder why shops often charge more for electrical work?

 

yea electical is a pain, i kinda have a feeling the problem lies within my steering column again just because of the way it started and the way the key feels but my mechanic thinks its the starter solenoid

 

Anything suspected of being a problem can be tested BEFORE a replacement is purchased.

If the solenoid is suspected (i highly doubt it's the issue) it can be tested on the vehicle with a jumper cable.

 

alright so i yanked out the steering column to see if i could find the issue underneath. i thought i discovered the problem when i saw the black piece that holds the a4 park/lock cable connected to the ignition switch had slightly come loose from the switch itself. I thought it was keeping the starter from engaging because the switch couldnt function properly. So i yanked out the column and got it all back together (or so i thought) and it kept popping off when i turned the key in the ignition. i finally got it secured hoping it was the problem but the engine still wouldnt start . Is it possible i need a new switch again or is the problem lying elsewhere?? I had it towed to my mechanics house so i already dropped 90 bucks on it today

 

Without some troubleshooting results, there is no way anyone can help pinpoint your problem. Seems like you are going to need local help, since you are not able to troubleshoot yourself.

 

Yeah I had it towed to my mechanics place. Hopefully tomorrow I'm going to troubleshoot the ignition switch, vats realy, neutral switch and the starter itself. and maybe other areas depending on how it goes

Hopefully I can figure it out with my mechanic. I wish i knew you could jump the starter with a screw driver because i probably could have got it started and not needed the tow unless the starter is the problem which im kind of doubting at this point.

Does anyone know what the ground wire that is on the firewall next to the steering column shaft on the engine side? it runs through the wall and goes somewhere underneath the dash. i noticed it wasnt connected to anything like it had been cut

 

and shoebox... in your ignition switch r and r section you mention not moving the steering wheel when u pull it out. while putting it back in i moved the wheel and turned it around a few times and messed around with it to get it back into the intermediate and bolted. what could happen as a result of all this moving around and turning?

 

If you turn the wheel "a few times" with the shaft not connected to the rest of the steering, you can break the "clock spring" that connects the airbag to the control system.

 

is that the only potential problem? so basically worst case scenario is no air bag?